by Lauren Wood
I took a deep breath, put a big smile on my face, and stepped out to see Hutch and his daughter, Blu.
They were at a booth near the front, not needing too much privacy since he rented out the whole ship. But the restaurant was immediately dark, thick wooden paneling giving it the look of an old pirate’s pub somewhere on what used to be called the Spanish Main.
As soon as I sat down, breakfast arrived. Leo the cook knew what I liked, and the spinach egg white omelet was perfectly well-done, crispy on the outside. The roasted potatoes were my favorite, and the English muffins were still hot from the toaster.
Blu was polite and gracious when they brought her scrambled eggs and fruit, following her father’s lead as he received his steak and eggs. The waitress, Stella, gave me a little wink as she turned to walk away from the table, but I tried to ignore it. I certainly didn’t appreciate it. I had to think, Leo already knows, so does Stella? What will they all be wondering, talking about, gossiping about tomorrow, and for the next seven days? What about my father, what’s he going to make out of all this? I’ll bet Caroline’s telling him right now, probably making it sound as bad as she can. But I couldn’t keep focusing on all that; that wasn’t what mattered. At that moment what mattered most was the somewhat-reduced Hutchinson family, and that they have the best week of their lives.
Hutch said, “The food is delicious, Dana. May I call you Dana?”
“Please do … Hutch.”
He smiled and turned to Blu. “S’good?”
She nodded, pushing a piece of watermelon into her mouth. “Yes, thank you.”
Hutch asked me, “How do you stay so thin? You must have a gym here.”
“Oh yeah, I go when there’s a spot open. It’s usually pretty crowded.”
Hutch smiled. “Won’t be this time.” He didn’t say anymore about it, and I was glad. We’d just met, and I found myself immediately hoping he wouldn't come on with some tacky line about showing him my routine or whatever, especially not right there in front of his daughter. But he left that matter completely alone, as if it had been the mere afterthought that it seemed to be. He went on, “Anyway, I’m glad you could see your way clear to joining us.”
I smiled, glad he brought it up, and for reasons other than sheer curiosity. “It’s certainly my pleasure. Though I have to say, it’s generally the kind of thing Caroline, our cruise director, would do.”
Hutch let the moment land, silence at the table. “Would you rather she do it?”
“Do what?”
“I don’t know, I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, well, um, just, y’know, show you around the ship, be your escort, as it were.”
Hutch smiled, taking a sip of his coffee. “I see. Nevertheless, we feel a bit more … comfortable with you.” He turned to Blu to confirm. “Wouldn’t you say, Blu?”
Blu nodded, swallowing her food to say, “‘Zactly.”
I couldn’t help but smile, and I really didn’t want to help it. What more was there to do but shrug and butter my muffin? We were going to have a splendid time and there was nothing I was going to be able to say or do about it.
*
After breakfast (Hutch tipped a hundred dollars!) we strolled around the ship. I showed them the rest of the mall, a glittering city block of polished glass and chrome, the world’s most tantalizing trinkets on display; diamonds and fine silk, but also the colorful, humorous t-shirts and flip-flops so popular among their post-adolescent passengers. They passed the IMAX theater, which had 3-D presentations of a variety of deep sea documentaries as well as the latest blockbusters.
Hutch looked around, impressed. “Wow, this is really something. It’s quite a place to live. How long have you been doing this?”
“My dad took the job almost ten years ago, after my mom … ” But a quick glance at little Blu told me I’d already said too much. The last thing I wanted to do was to drudge up sad memories for the Hutchinsons, especially not those memories in particular. But it was too late to backpedal away from the subject, and both Hutch and Blu seemed to know it. “Anyway, it’s been about ten years.”
“So, about half your life,” Hutch presumed and I nodded. “Or two thirds of mine.”
Odd thing to say, I couldn’t help but think. He must want to know how old I am, and he wants me to know how old he is. There can’t be too many reasons for that.
But I wasn’t intimidated or upset by it, not at all. In fact, I was intrigued, to put it in the most gentile way I can.
Blu asked, “Have you always been a singer?”
I didn’t have to give that one too much thought. “Ever since I was a kid, Blu. I sang in the shower, school plays, all that stuff. When we came to the ship it was … it was a little harder for a while, I have to admit. I really didn't sing at all for a few years, to tell you the truth. I just kept my head down, I had a tutor so there was always schooling to do. And I gotta say, all the things there were to do, and Oceania was brand new at the time, it helped, y’know? Just to know there was still some fun to be had out there, and for me … it was in my own backyard!”
Hutch said, “Speaking of that, who feels like a swim?”
**END OF PREVIEW**
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